[Left Channel]

@Left Channel My kids got me an S2D for Christmas and I love this little DAC. My question is about MQB. I've searched everywhere and your Google Docs reference document keeps popping up everywhere. It states that a purple dot with MQB is a software first unfold but NO 2nd unfold. I then found one post buried that states that this is NOT true. It states that the Purple MQB is in fact the S2D doing the 2nd unfold correctly. This leads me to believe that this would be the preferred method when using Roon for the 1st unfold and allowing the S2D to do the 2nd unfold thus giving us a completely restored file.

Am I correct in these assumptions?

Hi, thanks for pointing that out. MQB is indeed "rendering" mode, when the signal first goes through 1x software unfolding, and is then further unfolded by the DAC to its final resolution.

When a DAC is capable of both MQB rendering and full MQA, one is not necessarily preferred over the other. Your final settings depend upon your ears and your equipment at your location.

Thanks again for noticing that issue in the doc, which is maintained by @Mark Dirac so we'll alert him via this tag, and I'm sorry I did not notice that at first, though I'm not sure I knew what it was when we were first collaborating on compiling all that information.

 

[FTBoomer]

That's great, thanks. That document is so heavily referenced but so many people that I was concerned that others would also be confused.

 

[kkl10]

Is anyone pairing this dac with Head Box S2 amp from the same company? Any experience with it?

 

[Left Channel]

Is anyone pairing this dac with Head Box S2 amp from the same company? Any experience with it?

The Pre Box S2 Digital includes its own headphone amp, so there's no need for an additional headphone amp like the Head Box S2, but I suspect those two sound the same. I have the Amp Box S2, which drives speakers, and it definitely sounds like it came from the same designers. If you want something that sounds different, try the DS2 line which was designed by a different team and targets a warmer and smoother sound.

Edit: designed by a different team, not time, lol. ​

 

[kkl10]

The Pre Box S2 Digital includes its own headphone amp

I know but judging by the specs it's a very weak amp, not adequate for harder to drive or high impedance headphones. So it would make sense for some owner to pair it with the Head Box S2, which is a much more powerful amp. Hence the question.

I'm just trying to get an idea of the sound of the Head Box S2 amp and know whether or not it's competitive with the Magni 3, Liquid Spark and such... not much info about it...

DS2 line which was designed by a different team

Does this include the HP amps or just the dacs? How do you know this?

 

[Left Channel]

I know but judging by the specs it's a very weak amp, not adequate for harder to drive or high impedance headphones. So it would make sense for some owner to pair it with the Head Box S2, which is a much more powerful amp. Hence the question.

I'm just trying to get an idea of the sound of the Head Box S2 amp and know whether or not it's competitive with the Magni 3, Liquid Spark and such... not much info about it...

Hopefully you'll get an answer from a Head Box S2 owner, but based on my experience with two other products in the S2 line I expect the sound signature would be the same but with added power.

Re all DS2 components being designed by a different team,

Does this include the HP amps or just the dacs? How do you know this?

The US distributor told me, at AXPONA last year.

 

[Dexterprog]

hello. I wanted to know if the dropouts problems are still an issue as I'm considering getting this dac when visting Europe in May

 

[Left Channel]

hello. I wanted to know if the dropouts problems are still an issue as I'm considering getting this dac when visting Europe in May

I haven't seen complaints about dropouts in quite a while. Firmware 2.12 was a great improvement, and the MQA streams we get from Tidal may have also improved. Also it has been argued the S2D is more sensitive to poor MQA signals than other DACs because that it is a more pure decoding design, while competitors like Mytek may appear to better handle bad MQA signals only by imposing a filter on all signals at all times. As long as you stream MQA from Tidal or local files, I expect you'll be happy with that aspect of the S2D.

 

[naum]

When I use S2 (firmware 2.12) with laptop and windows Tidal app a dropouts on MQA tracks did occur, but very rarely. I now have Allo Usbridge Signature with MoodeAudio and on almost every MQA song I have dropouts. With nonMQA tracks everything is OK. Since I'm not a masochist, I'll have to change S2 as soon as possible. I'll wait for a new Topping D90 (MQA version).

 

[FTBoomer]

No dropouts for me at all

 

[Dexterprog]

Thanks guys. And what about the linear psu (I've been reading about that in this thread). I noticed pro ject offers 3 psus for sale (I actually don't quite understand a lot about them). Do they serve the purpose of better performance / cleaner audio?


For alternatives I was considering SMSL m500, topping (if they ever add mqa) and mytek liberty (frankly, way too expensive, and an older dac chip...). I couldn't find anything concerning topping releasing the d90 with mqa support. I'll be getting my dac in May, so I have some time.

 

[Demo3]

Thanks guys. And what about the linear psu (I've been reading about that in this thread). I noticed pro ject offers 3 psus for sale (I actually don't quite understand a lot about them). Do they serve the purpose of better performance / cleaner audio?





ifi makes an affordably quality wall wort that works well with the S2, I use it with mine but I really could not say it sounds better than usb power.
https://ifi-audio.com/products/ipower/

 

[Baten]

Thanks guys. And what about the linear psu (I've been reading about that in this thread). I noticed pro ject offers 3 psus for sale (I actually don't quite understand a lot about them). Do they serve the purpose of better performance / cleaner audio?

ifi makes an affordably quality wall wort that works well with the S2, I use it with mine but I really could not say it sounds better than usb power.
https://ifi-audio.com/products/ipower/

I recommend to read this article via google translate to English https://www.alpha-audio.nl/review/multitest-externe-12-volt-voedingen/
iFi did not quite come out on top. Another really good PSU is the allo shanti! https://allo.com/sparky/shanti.html really competitively priced.

 

[Left Channel]

Thanks guys. And what about the linear psu (I've been reading about that in this thread). I noticed pro ject offers 3 psus for sale (I actually don't quite understand a lot about them). Do they serve the purpose of better performance / cleaner audio?

ifi makes an affordably quality wall wort that works well with the S2, I use it with mine but I really could not say it sounds better than usb power.
https://ifi-audio.com/products/ipower/

It really depends on how clean your local power is, and also whether you can hear a difference. As you've no doubt read here the designer of the S2D recommends a linear PSU, and the iPower is a switching supply but some users swear by it. #YMMV

 

[Dexterprog]

Yes I was counting on what the designer said, but since pro ject is making those psu (with their stupid confusing naming!) I wanted to know if those are good enough or if I should check other alternatives